I found a lovely supportive community with some new friends who helped me become familiar with living in the Netherlands.
Part 3 of a Series
Each week in the coming months, our blog team will share an interview with the coordinators of the various departments that make up the Delft MaMa organization. These coordinators, all of whom are volunteers, are the people who keep Delft MaMa such an active, vibrant community that helps so many parents in the Delft area.
This week, meet the SLiDe Coordinator of Delft MaMa, Agashnee Naidoo.
Tell Us About Yourself
Hi there! I am Agashnee, a dual British and South African citizen. I am originally from South
Africa, however following my university degree, I wanted to explore the European world. So
I moved to the United Kingdom to work and travel. I remained living there until my move to
the Netherlands in 2018. I was excited to live somewhere new and absorb some of the Dutch
culture. I choose to live in Den Haag with the opportunities to work with the international
community. I am now a mother of a 3 year old girl, born in the Netherlands, and the owner
and founder of the Speech Language Centre.
I can relate more to parents’ daily struggles and language choices while raising my daughter
trilingual. Parenting is challenging, yet so rewarding.
What is your role within the Delft Mama Organization?
Since October 2018, I have been the Soft Landing in Delft Coordinator (SLiDe). I found it difficult
when I moved to learn new systems, and find out information and I wanted to give something
back to newcomers. I wanted to make their journey to Delft, smoother, hence when I saw
the SLiDe position, I was eager to help out. We support newcomers via a mentoring
programme, which is free. It is just nice to able to talk to reach out to someone when you
need help in a new town.
How has Delft Mama contributed to your adaptation to life in the Netherlands?
I found a lovely supportive community with some new friends, who helped me just get to
know more things. I could message the community with a question, and receive a ton of
replies! I was not a mamma myself when I applied for the Delft mama position, however,
following becoming a mum, it has been so valuable in assisting parents, especially for me
being a first time parent in a new country.
What’s your favorite place in Delft?
I love Bosdierenpad in Delft. It is a relaxed walk with the little ones and you see their
imagination develop. I also love walks in the Deft city centre, with the canals, music in the
summer and the relaxed atmosphere.
What do you do for fun?
Being South African, I love spending days at the beach in summer. In autumn and winter, I
enjoy exploring museums with my family. We loved the Royal Delft museum and painted
some plates during a workshop with my daughter.
Share a secret with us!
I love looking through photos and photobooks of my family. It reminds me of the special
memories of busy days. We make a photobook each year, the best gift ever.
Volunteer at Delft MaMa
Delft MaMa is run by a team of talented and dedicated volunteers, eager to participate in projects and give a little bit (or a lot) of our time and expertise – and then go the extra mile too! We organize different activities with a wide range of purposes: give workshops, coordinate playgroups, and other social and business meetings, all with the common goal of connecting international families in Delft and its surrounds.